Retracing family ties: Cheminais getting a haircut from Chai, the last remaining barber at Tempat Gunting Rambut Hollywood Shanghai in Sandakan, where his grandfather, Chan once worked.
KOTA KINABALU: For Frenchman Charly Cheminais, strolling through the streets of Sandakan was akin to traversing a bygone era, one that resonated with the history of his mother’s family.
Born to a French father and a Malaysian mother, he arrived here last Friday to learn more about the places his mother once called home and to locate his grandfather’s grave at Red Hill Chinese Public Cemetery (Bak Kung San).
“My younger brother visited Sandakan last year, but this is my first time here. I wanted to see for myself where my mother grew up and hear stories about my late grandfather,” he said.
Cheminais, who is from Fontainebleau, south of Paris, speaks some Mandarin, which helped him connect with people who once knew his grandfather, Chan Hok Man.
His mother left Sandakan in 1984 at the age of 30.
French guy's grandfather Chan Hok ManShe spent several years in Hong Kong before relocating to Paris to pursue language studies, eventually establishing herself as a reporter for a Chinese newspaper.
The family’s connection to Sandakan dates back to 1997, the year of his grandfather’s passing.
The family has not visited the grave since that time.
At his mother’s request, Cheminais travelled to Sabah to locate his grandfather’s grave.
On Sunday, he dedicated five hours to searching the Red Hill Chinese Public Cemetery, enlisting the help of maintenance workers in his efforts.
The area had transformed into a dense jungle, where fallen trees complicated the search efforts greatly.
“We found nothing because the area has really become a jungle. Trees had fallen,” he said.
He had related the futile attempt to his mother, who seemed resigned to it.
Cheminais, 39, also visited Tempat Gunting Rambut Hollywood & Shanghai, where his grandfather had worked as a barber.
He sought to visit the location where his grandfather set out on a new chapter after relocating from Shanghai, joining the founding group of barbers in Sandakan.
Under the guidance of Sandakan Heritage Committee chairman Lai King Hang, Cheminais entered the historic barbershop, where the sole remaining barber, 77-year-old Chai Tze Pung, continues to serve customers.
Chai began working at the shop in 1970, when skilled barbers from Shanghai, Hong Kong and China made it one of the most well-known establishments in town. He later took over the shop with his colleagues, including Cheminais’ grandfather.
For Chai, meeting Cheminais was emotional.
He had trained under Chan in 1970, calling him his sifu (master).
“He was my mentor,” Chai said.
Over time, as Sandakan’s old streets lost their vibrancy, the once eight-seat barbershop shrank to just three.
At present, Chai stands as the sole survivor, sustaining the business as a means to occupy the hours.
“He was very, very happy to see me,” Cheminais shared.
“He feels that he is not forgotten.”
As a tribute, Cheminais also had his hair cut by the very barber who once worked alongside his grandfather.
He was able to converse with Chai in Mandarin, allowing them to exchange stories about his grandfather and the shop’s golden era.
Another poignant stop on his journey was Singapore Street, where his mother spent her childhood.
“Everything has changed. I only came to Sandakan once as a child, and that was for my grandfather’s funeral. I don’t remember much of it.
“Seeing the place now, I can only imagine what life was like for my mother back then,” he said.
Cheminais hopes to return to Sandakan next year, perhaps with his brother, to continue the search for their grandfather’s final resting place.
“But I don’t know yet when it will be possible,” he said.
For now, Cheminais is reclaiming lost connections and rediscovering his heritage in the journey from Fontainebleau to Sandakan.
